Membership Not Required at Springfield Country Club’s Tavola Restaurant

Enjoy the country club’s 6,000 square foot-expansion (all outdoors!) of Tavola.

Story, photos by Sharon Kozden

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” – James Beard

Within the past year, I’ve become a country mouse, who doesn’t much get out and about to country clubs.

I’m so country, in fact, that local honey is produced by honeybees on the property where I live. Hens lay eggs. Doves coo. Woodpeckers peck. Trees hang low with fruit. All number of critter sounds abound, while cars pass infrequently along a quiet, solitary road. I even have a screen door that can slam. Still, when my editor offers an assignment, I’m at the ready and willing for any gig at which membership is required. It’s a Gemini thing, I suppose. My “twins” love to mix it up. But at Springfield Country Club‘s Tavola Restaurant, there’s a seat at the table for all … expect a big, happy-family welcome from management and staff alike–no membership necessary.

On May 5th, I arrived at Tavola while the weather was still sunny and dry. It was only around dessert time, when the sky began to darken. While I love to observe a thunderstorm, the dessert I chose was hella more captivating. Sweet treat before storm-watching … it’s a foodie thing.

Beginning my dine-out, I opted for my go-to cocktail, a margarita … will I never tire of them (rhetorical question)? What happened to mixing it up a la the Gemini twins? Call me the quintessential contrarian. I really liked most offerings on the specialty cocktail menu; however, one in particular caught my eye. I had to sip it. A spin on your typical mojito, this one was made with fresh pureed blueberries. Do try this refreshing summer ‘beaut. Never one to imbibe on an empty belly, I asked immediately for an accompanying appetizer. As with the ol’ standby margarita, my foodstuff starter is typically “the usual” (read: chicken wings}. They cannot, however, be just any wings. I turn up my nose at the dinky, greasy buffalo ones with no alternative sauce options. Bow-ring! Trust me and get Tavola’s jumbo wings. There are multiple delicious sauces to choose from, all of which coat the wings to perfection (but not saturation). Enjoy, then prepare to lick fingers. Sometimes you’ll find a place that allows a mix … half coated in one sauce, the rest in another. When an establishment won’t comply with my request to do so, I tend to give them the evil eye. After all, the customer’s belly is always right.

I took a digestive breather in between drinks and appetizer and gazed out over the country club’s neatly manicured golf course. My eyes roved the new outdoor patio’s expansiveness and took in the details en toto: funky fire pits and furniture, plentiful shading from sky blue-colored umbrellas, strung lights, heating towers and these wonderful pod-like seating areas, privacy-inducing structures I was told were called “nests.” A rambunctious little boy was dive-sliding onto their cushions, as if stealing bases.

My breather-break was over with the arrival of my entrée: a melty-mouthed, done-to-perfection nice-sized portion of a beef filet. Sometimes, particularly come spring but mostly summer, a gal just wants a simple entrée. Meat and a salad being a perfect combo, I added an entire stalk of romaine lettuce, doctored with yummy Caesar dressing and cheesy sprinkles. The meal came with fries and, while I tasted them (A+!), I was contented with just my occasional consumption of red meat (done medium-rare) and the side of lettuce.

Suspension of disbelief time: I nearly did not order dessert! And yet, life truly is too short to worry incessantly about bad cholesterol and elevated triglycerides (moderation, doncha know?!). Going boldly where I typically do go, I nodded affirmatively when the dessert menu was proffered. Think I’ll keep you in suspense vis-à-vis my chosen sweet-treat descriptor. A picture really is worth a thousand words, so burn some calories by scrolling to the review’s end to gawk at said goodie. Hint: Peanut Butter Explosion.

A nod to the staff and management, who did everything and then some to ensure I had the best possible experience, which I did. I suspect they managed to import those menacing and threatening storm clouds for ambience’s sake. No need to twist my five-iron to dine at Tavola again. Fore! That is, SCORE, Tavola!

The cursive script portion of this sign adds a touch of country-club elegance.

Conical roofs of slate-grey color with flags atop remind me of the New England states, which then makes me crave lobster rolls and clam chowder.

Well-landscaped restaurant entrance is all the more inviting.

Despite my early arrival, the bar area is already showing signs of population density.

Never having had a mojito, I was not about to pass on the opportunity to sip this specialty cocktail made with plump, antioxidant-rich blueberries.

I didn’t forsake my go-to cocktail, the margarita … particularly with slammin’ wings. Note the thick and plentiful sauce.

What a minty fresh, pretty and refreshing-looking drinkie-poo.

A taster-snap of the interior before a speedy return to fresh country (club) air.

Beautiful blue-hued umbrellas are reminiscent of a sky color. Look closer in the background for impending opening of these skies. Food, drink and atmosphere at Tavola are so appealing that not a single patron seems fazed by “the something wicked this way coming.”

Live music is a welcome touch. This musician captured the right vibe.

Ready and waiting for patrons to chill on comfy chairs surrounding fire pit and overlooking golf course. Don’t mind a golf ball in your entrée. But I kid.